7 Reasons To Celebrate London

Today London remembers, 10 years on from the scenes of death and destruction. A city that I have called “home” on and off for 30 years. On 7th July 2005, I was at The Snow Ball in Queenstown, New Zealand with a group of friends when images flashed up on a video screen of the carnage across the city. It seemed distant and surreal in equal measure. What was the bombers’ point? The subsequent alert two weeks later and the manhunt when I was back home are a more vivid memory.

The test is what a city and its’ residents do about it.

Looking around London today, London is thriving. A global metropolis that has

Attracted huge swathes of capital from across the globe.

Unprecedented career opportunities for many people.

The most diverse, talented and creative workforce with a global mindset.

One of the most civilised, safe and secure environments to live, work and socialise in.

The most compelling mix of contemporary culture.

Retained its’ status as one of only two true “global cities” (the other being New York).

The most exciting prospects for the next generation to grow up in.

As with all growing capitalist cities it faces distribution challenges. Adequate housing, infrastructure, health and education provision for all incomes.

The “high” security threat is a badge of honour, a reflection that those with incongruent values seek to cut down the tallest of poppies. We must hope that our security forces and intelligence are one step ahead of those who seek to destroy what we have. Can we be certain? Of course not. My memory flashes back to the early part of my career, the IRA atrocities across the city, the daily roadblocks outside my EC3 office and further afield to New York, where several of my former colleagues from my days working on 104th Floor of the World Trade Center perished.

Yet we celebrate the vibrant, innovative and exciting city we call “home” and the fantastic future it provides for our families, friends and colleagues.